Tuberculosis Health Alert: What’s the best way to stay healthy at a casino?

It’s a scary world we live in, especially when it comes to diseases. And I’m not even talking about Ebola (which is scary in its own right).

There’s news out of Tunica, Mississippi that a casino employee has tested positive for tuberculosis. Any employee who has come into contact with the employee will be tested (or have already been tested by the time this hits the wire).The casino hasn’t said that there’s cause for casino patrons to be alarmed. That means the employee likely wasn’t a dealer, nor was he or she someone who came into direct contact with casino employees. But it’s nonetheless scary. This got me thinking. The casino seems to be a hotbed for germs – and I don’t like it one bit.

Full disclosure. I’m a germaphobe. I hate germs. I hate the thought of germs. So naturally when I hear a story like this, I get queasy.

But even if you don’t share my fear of viruses, bacteria, and other nasties, just think about it for a second. You sit down at a Blackjack table and drop down a few $100 dollar bills. The money itself probably isn’t that clean. The dealer hands you chips. Those chips have changed hands probably a hundred times in the last few hours.

You pick up those chips to place your bets. You get an eye itch. You scratch it. Now you’ve got whatever germs were on those chips in your eyes. Terrific. Or, perhaps the cocktail waitress comes by and asks you if you want a drink. You get your beverage, which conveniently has a straw. Not thinking twice, you move the straw around to tap the ice. Your hands, which just touched chips (which came into contact with a million different hands) is now infecting the straw…which is about to go in your mouth.

See where I’m going with this? Unless you carry a bucket of Purell with you, chances are you’re going to come into contact with a lot of germs. The same is true if you’re playing the slots. Who knows how many people touched the slot machine before you sat down to push the button or pull the lever?

So is there major cause for concern? Yes and no. When it comes to getting sick, a casino is no more dangerous than a shopping mall or an airplane. But the fact that you can lose your inhibitions because of the adrenaline rush coupled with free booze makes it easy to make decisions that aren’t so smart, like not washing your hands before you eat or drink after touching chips.

We don’t recommend you Purell your hands every time you get your hands on some chips. If you’re playing Blackjack, Casino War, or Roulette, you’d end up going through a whole lot of hand sanitizer. But we do recommend that you assume all chips are filthy and take the necessary precautions.

And if you’re even more of a germaphobe than I am, you can always stay home. Remember, Palace of Chance lets you play all your favorite casino games from the comforts of your own home – and even on the go through your iPhone, iPad, or Android mobile device. Just make sure you wash your hands before you eat. You never know who else touched that mouse.

Juliana Peyton

Her friends describe her as the funnest person they've ever met. Juliana loves blackjack and does a lot of practice and research on the game, she also claims to be a sucker for cute slot machine toys, which she has collected for several years. Graduated recently from UCLA and now is back in her hometown of Las Vegas ready to have fun!